Harvard offers free tuition to families making less than $200K per year

Harvard University announced Monday that it will now offer free tuition to undergraduate students whose families make US$200,000 or less per year.

In a statement, Harvard president Alan M. Garber said the move is “putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals.”

Garber said the free tuition “widens the array of backgrounds, experiences” that all the Ivy League school’s students encounter, “fostering their intellectual and personal growth.”

“By bringing people of outstanding promise together to learn with and from one another, we truly realize the tremendous potential of the University,” Garber added.

Free tuition for the families that qualify will begin in the 2025-26 academic year in a move Harvard said was to “ensure that admitted students can afford their Harvard education.”

“Our goal is to bring the most promising students to Harvard—period,” the statement on the school’s website read.

Families that make $100,000 or less per year will also qualify for free housing, food, health services and travel costs in addition to the tuition.

Each student will also receive a $2,000 start-up grant in their first year, which will help pay for everyday expenses. They will also receive a $2,000 launch grant during their junior year to help support the transition beyond Harvard, helping pay for graduate school test prep or travel to job interviews.

Hopi Hoekstra, the dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, said Harvard has “long sought to open our doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances.”

“This investment in financial aid aims to make a Harvard College education possible for every admitted student, so they can pursue their academic passions and positively impact our future,” Hoekstra added.

The news release said Harvard’s aid expansion will “enable approximately 86 per cent of U.S. families to qualify for Harvard College’s financial aid.”

Harvard launched its Harvard Financial Aid Initiative in 2004, which completely covered tuition, food and housing costs for students from families with an annual income of $40,000 or less. It has increased that number to $60,000 or less in 2006 and $85,000 or less in 2023.

Other schools have also expanded their financial aid programs, including the University of Texas System, which announced it would expand its free tuition program for families making $100,000 or less a year. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also announced it would provide free tuition to undergraduate students whose families make less than $200,000 a year in 2024.

Sen. Bernie Sanders commented on Harvard’s announcement, writing, “10 years ago, when I introduced a bill to make public colleges & universities tuition free, it was called ‘radical.’”

“Not today. Over 100 colleges & universities now offer free tuition to working class students,” he added. “Now, we must expand that idea to all public colleges & universities.”